Recommendations

One of the college admissions deans we met with over the summer suggested to Hans that he “pop in and say hello” to his high school guidance counselor as a way of building that relationship. That’s when it hit me that colleges really don’t have a clue about the mega high schools.

Did that admissions dean really believe that an overworked guidance counselor really has time to get to know a kid by his popping his head in? I guess he doesn’t know about the secretary who takes appointments, or the quick fix walk-ins available on Wednesdays only. Really, if you don’t have a problem, don’t bother them. They are busy.

I guess they don’t know that guidance counselors are in abysmally short supply; doing the best they can with an average 500 students each, of which some 235 are seniors.

So, to provide recommendations to colleges, a student must arrange a 45-minute “get-to-know-you” meeting with his assigned counselor. Hans had his the other day. He said it went “all right,” with his counselor ostensibly interviewing him about his interests and activities outside the classroom.

We won’t see what she writes as she fills out evaluation forms on Hans, but somehow she will have to rate him on “personal qualities and character” in comparison to other students, along with comparisons on academic achievement, and extracurriculars. She will be required to come up with “the first words that come to mind to describe this student,” and will have to note, “how long she’s known this student.” After she’s written the narrative, which is a “broad-based assessment” about him that includes a “description of academic, extracurricular, and personal characteristics,” I hope she fills in the “Enthusiastically” circle next to the recommendation choices.

She might as well, because she doesn’t know him.

Teachers, on the other hand may know their students pretty well. Unless you’re one of the independent spirits. Like Hans.

With both of my boys, conferences were always a meeting in which the teacher would comment that my boy was so quiet, they had a hard time getting to know him. Sometimes an English teacher would comment on writings, expressing surprise that he had so much to say, and were capable of saying it so well. “He really should speak up more in class,” I’d be told.

So how well can a high school teacher really get to know a reserved student in order to provide a valid recommendation? Hans deliberated long and hard over which two teachers he should approach for recommendations. He settled on his A.P. World History teacher from three quarters in junior year, and a wonderful Advanced Writers Workshop teacher he had only one quarter, again from junior year.

What will they write about? Hans supplied them with a couple of guidelines about his interests, and they do have the option with three of the colleges to fill out an evaluation form from the Common Application. But I wouldn’t be surprised if both teachers were a little taken aback to see the request from Hans. As his Art teacher who had him in her class parts of all three years said to me, “Hans seems to be coming out of his shell this year. He’s so hard to get to know.”

Lucky for Hans that he’s a good student, producing creative, intelligent work, and getting A’s for it. But what, oh what, will be those first words that come to mind to describe him, from those who barely know him?